What’s a hiking blog need to make my personal top 10? Let’s start with:
- Timeliness: Newsy, relevant, plugged in to the latest doings and technology.
- Stamina: We’ve all got a few blog posts in us, but the best bloggers keep at it for years.
- Trail-tested authority: These folks never come home clean on a Sunday night.
- Compelling personal testimony: Full of stories that bear repeating.
I focused on personal blogs specific to hiking and backpacking, which leaves my “10 best outdoors blog” list for another day. Read on past the jump to see if yours made it, and chime in on the comments with all who were unjustly ignored.
1: The Smoky Mountains Hiking Blog
Author: Jeff Doran
Why I like it: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most-visited park in the National Park Service. Snow closes roads, hikers get lost, bears and elk amuse the tourists. And Jeff dutifully posts the most relevant stuff day in and day out. Jeff’s persistence is simply amazing, given that the same kinds of stories recur with the regularity of wildflower blooms and the arrival of winter.
Author: Philip Werner
Why I like it: Philip has posted hundreds of reviews of trails, gear, books and more, always tying them into his direct experience in the mountains of the U.S. Northeast. Every hiking blogger tries to do this; Philip just happens to be best at it.
3: Trail Cooking and the Outdoors
Author: Sarah Svien Kirkconnell
What I like about it: We’ve all gotta eat, right? Sarah’s blog takes up where her “Freezerbag Cooking” book leaves off — adding more recipes and tips and providing trip reports from the American Northwest. Cooking in freezer bags offers an elegant solution to two vexing issues: the generally awful taste of manufactured freeze-dried meals, and the inherent messiness of cooking with small stoves in the wilderness. And it all makes perfect sense, thanks to Sarah’s blog.
Author: Jason Klass
What I like about it: Jason’s simply the best at using videos to demonstrate creating a stove from a Pepsi can or any of a zillion other clever ideas we hear about but never get around to documenting visually.
5: Modern Hiker
Author: Casey Schreiner
What I like about it: Casey was among the pioneers in using Google maps and GPS tracks to documents his hikes in Southern California. I stole all my ideas for mapping my hikes from Modern Hiker.
6: Best Hike
Author: Rick McCharles
What I like about it: Every time I turn around it seems like Rick’s on a different continent. Best Hike does what the rest us imagine we’d do if we didn’t have so many other obligations.
Author: Danny Bernstein
Why I like it: Danny has hiked every mile of the Appalachian Trail and every trail in the Great Smokies, and now she’s documenting the entire length of North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail. She’s one hiker who just doesn’t stop, as her blog amply illustrates.
8: The Hike Guy
Author: Kolby Kirk
What I like about it: Kolby’s blog started out as a way to document his goal of hiking 500 miles in one year. Last year it morphed into a hiking club, complete with a calendar of outings. I can’t imagine this happening if he didn’t have a hiking blog.
9: Daily Hiker
Author: Branden McIntyre
What I like about it: Newsiest of the bunch — with lots of links and commentary on the latest outdoor recreation news, from gear announcements to federal land management policies.
10: Gambolin’ Man
Author: Tom McGuire
What I like about it: Tom’s blog is an expression of true intent. It’s true he rambles on to extravagant length, but there’s a certain “this is all so cool I can’t possibly keep it all in” vibe that becomes infectious.
What a great list! Some like Best Hike are already daily reads for me… can’t wait to get the rest of them into my google reader 🙂
Tom,
I was holding my breath ’til the very end to see if I made your list (which I duly consider an uber-authoritative source). . .and was happy (and duly honored) to see that, indeed, I did (albeit barely sneaking in!). . .
Gambolin’ Man
I would like to relinquish my #10 spot to the host – John Soares – of a very cool and informative website – Northern California Hiking Trails . . .
http://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/
Hey Tom,
Maybe someday I can make it in as a Wild Card. :o)
Keep up the great work, safe to say you’re site is on a lot of top 10 lists, including mine.
-Dan
Tom,
That is a great list indeed. Most of these are in my subscribe list as well.
Tim
Tim: Thanks much … I like your blog and all your links, nice work!
Dan: Kind words most appreciated; unfortunately I couldn’t squeeze all the deserving blogs into my top 10.
This is a great list, and I too added a few subscriptions to my list! Thank you.
Susan: I like the design and implementation of your site — I never have the discipline to create a dedicated guide site, which is why the blog format suits me better.
Tom is a true earth man and lover of Mother nature. I know; I’m his mother. When the gods finish reading this, he’ll be No. 1
This is a wonderful list. It’s hard to find many good outdoors blogs because I feel like those who love the outdoors don’t have a propensity to use the internet. Many in my hiking club are over 50 years old and don’t even own a computer. Thank you for putting this list together.
I like this blog
This is a very great blog by tim
Interesting blog tim
What a great list! Some like Best Hike are already daily reads for me…
can’t wait to get the rest of them into my google reader 🙂
Great
Loved that one
I am impressed
Amazing
Double likes
more ..Link ur website here
What a wonderful List
Nice work TIm
I like this blog
Wonderful
Great
Most of these are in my subscribe list as well.
What a great list! Some like Best Hike are already daily reads for me…
can’t wait to get the rest of them into my google reader 🙂
Loved this Blog
This blog should be on the top list
<3
Keep up the great work, safe to say you’re site is on a lot of top 10 lists,
Thumbs up
http://northerncaliforniahikin…
Walker likes
Superb wordings
Great list
What a great list! Some like Best Hike are already daily reads for me..
Holding my breath while reading the list.This is super